Code Review Checklist

The following is a simple checklist for code review.

• Why was the code changed?
  • It is important to understand why the code changed in order to review it
• Have the tests been modified?
  • If the task is a new feature, there should be new unit tests
  • If the task is about bug fixing, there should be changes in unit tests
  • If the task is about refactoring, there shouldn’t be changes in unit tests
• Have the documentation been updated?
  • Internal or external documents needs to reflect the new changes
• Are any code analysis suppression been justified?
  • Usually code analysis rules are consistent throughout the project, any exception should be documented
• Are TODO comments followed by JIRA items?
  • Any technical debt needs to be documented in JIRA for future planning
• Are there any useless comments?
  • Avoid any confusion
• Are there any dead code?
  • Avoid any confusion
• Can I tell which developer wrote the code?
  • If you can tell who wrote the code, then it is most likely not standard
• Are there any quality issues or bugs with code?
  • Does it work or not?
• Is there a simpler way to solve the problem?
  • Is there a better way of doing it?